


Swordmaid

by nightfangfox



Category: Redwall Series - Brian Jacques, Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Canon Divergence, Connie is a squirrel, More as needed - Freeform, Taggerung
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-23
Updated: 2016-01-24
Packaged: 2018-05-15 15:28:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5790793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nightfangfox/pseuds/nightfangfox
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Connie is totally fine with animals. She'd never thought she would be one! Now she must find a way home through the peaceful lands of Mossflower. But if she can get here, who says that others couldn't...?</p><p>First chapter is mostly an interest check.</p><p>Set a few seasons after Taggerung and four months after Stevenbomb 4.0 (Steven's Birthday).</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Awakening

"Mrrrrh..." Connie couldn't remember the last time she had a headache so bad, and her body felt like it had been run over by Mr. Universe's van at full tilt. She started to move, but a sharp pain shot through her entire body and she immediately fell still.

"Miss Abbess! Miss Abbess! She's waking up, come here!"

The voice was male, probably. Connie wouldn't judge. If he was calling for an abbess, then she would be in an abbey. That's the only thing that would make sense. But what abbey? There were barely any churches or temples around Beach City, other than the Gems' Temple. _Where am I?_ she wondered, fighting down a growing sense of fear.

"Egburt, what's all the- oh! Our friend is waking up, is she?"

This voice was female. Probably the abbess. Connie opened her mouth to speak, but all that came out was a dry, strangled croak. Her face felt strange.

"Shhh... Don't try to talk, dear. Please, you need to drink some water. But slowly!"

That was a third voice, also female and much closer than the other two. Connie felt a cup at her lips and she did her best to take slow sips, but once the water hit her tongue she struggled to keep from chugging the whole thing in one go. Soon the cup was moved and something soft dabbed at some water that she hadn't even realized had spilled. The third voice spoke again.

"Miss Mhera, she might not be able to answer questions for a while." _Questions?_ worried Connie. "She can barely move without it causing pain, it seems, and she hasn't even tried opening her eyes."

"Oh dear... Poor thing. She looks so young, too, not even an adult," said the abbess. "My friend, can you hear me?"

Though her head felt heavy and just breathing made her ache, Connie managed a nod. She heard three relieved sighs above her. It sounded as though the abbess was about to speak again, but the male voice cut in.

"Begging your pardon, marm, but she's really in no position to be talking right now. She's been sleeping so long, her throat's probably too dry."

"Well, Egburt, I suppose you must be right. You two are the infirmary keepers."

"I- I can..." struggled Connie. "I'm f-fine, let me- nngh!"

"Careful, careful!" cried the male, now known to be Egburt. "Take it easy."

"B-but..." she started, but she realized that she couldn't think of anything to say. Her mother was a doctor, and she knew from her that people who've gone too long without fluids are bound to have problems such as pain and headaches. She kept her mouth shut, but slowly tried to open her eyes.

They felt crusty, almost like she'd cried herself to sleep or something. Considering how much pain she was in, it was likely that she'd shed tears at some point. Gradually, bit by bit, she let light in, and soon enough her vision sharpened enough to make out her surroundings.

She immediately froze.

The three figures around her- _Animals! They're animals!_ \- noticed her reaction and they backed up, giving each other worried and confused looks. One of them was an otter, and the other two were hedgehogs. They all wore green tunics. The otter held theirs in place with a white cord, and one of the hedgehogs had a white apron over theirs.

The otter spoke with the abbess-voice. "Do... do we scare you? Would you rather have another squirrel look after you?"

"A-another..." Connie couldn't help the frown on her face.

"It's okay if you don't!" said the otter-abbess.

"It should be safe to leave you alone for a little while, if you want," said the hedgehog in the apron. It was the other female voice. Connie nodded.

"Okay..." mumbled the other hedgehog, probably Egburt. "We'll be back by sunset. Just... Make some noise if you want us back before then."

Connie nodded again, more slowly. The three animals quietly left the room.

 _What did she mean by 'another squirrel'?_ she thought. _Is that slang? Some kind of code?_ Then another thought came to her, and she bolted upright, completely forgetting her pain. _Am I a squirrel?_

She looked around the room for something she could see her reflection in. She found that she was in a bed with soft green blankets and a table nearby, and the walls were made of some kind of reddish-pink stone. Upon finding nothing, she looked down at herself. She had dark brown fur covering her whole body, and a bushy, if a little matted, tail extending from her tailbone. She didn't feel up for appreciating the irony.

"I... O-oh no..." She brought up her hands- paws- to feel her face. It too was fuzzy, and little tufted ears stood up proud at the top. "How... How did this...?" Connie could feel herself starting to panic and she forced herself to breathe evenly.

 _I was with Steven on a mission..._ she thought, trying to get herself together. She pushed the whole squirrel problem to the back of her mind. She could deal with that once she figured out where she was. _The Gems were fighting something. A corrupted Gem. I... Did I trip over a branch? No, it was a rock. Yeah, it was a really colorful rock. I tripped, and then... I think I heard Steven say someth_ \- Her heart stopped.

"Steven!"

The two hedgehogs burst in at her cry. They had been waiting outside the door, and their appearance startled Connie.

"What's wrong? Are you okay? Are you hurting?" fussed Egburt, trying to inspect her. Connie tried to get out of the bed, but immediately tumbled to the ground with a sharp yelp.

"No no no, please stay in bed!" said the other hedgehog, who was doing her best to get Connie back onto the mattress. "You can't be up and about yet!"

"But-!" Connie's voice cracked, and she tried again. "But I have to find Steven! H-he could be...!"

"You're not going to find anyone like this, young lady!" said Egburt. "Please, you're just going to hurt yourself even more!"

She shook her head a little too hard and winced. "But... But I need to find him, h-he could be hurt, or- or-"

"Now miss," said a new male voice. It was deep and warm and scolding. Connie felt strong arms around her middle and someone lifted her up as though she weighed less than a sack of flour. "We only want what's best for you, miss. You won't be able to find your friend hurt like this."

Connie went still, knowing that what the newcomer said was right. She looked up at him as he gently set her back down on the bed. He was another otter, big and muscular with dark eyes. He moved so silently it was no wonder that she hadn't heard him come in.

"Oh, Deyna, thank you," said the female hedgehog.

"It's not a problem, Floburt," replied the otter, Deyna. "Now for you, young missy..." He turned to Connie and she tensed. "First of all, what is your name?"

She hesitated a little. "I... It's Connie, sir."

"That's a beautiful name, Connie," said Deyna. "May I ask where you're from?"

"Um..." She looked down, then steeled herself and turned her gaze back up at him. "Question for a question. Where am I?"

"You're in Redwall Abbey, little miss," said Floburt.

"I... I don't know where that is."

"What?" Egburt cried. "But the whole area knows about Redwall!"

"Egburt, please." Deyna gave him a look and the hedgehog fell silent. "Now, it's your turn. Where are you from?"

"I'm from-" started Connie, but she stopped herself. She knew that there had to be some kind of magic at play, she'd been hanging around the Crystal Gems long enough to gather that. She'd never heard of Redwall Abbey. What if she was in some weird other dimension? What if she messed something up by telling them about Beach City? "... I don't know."

The hedgehogs gave her sympathetic looks. They seemed to believe her. The big otter, however... Other than his eyes narrowing a little, he was hard to read. _Did he see through my lie?_

"Okay... Who is Steven? You seem to care a lot for him," asked Deyna.

"No, i-it's your turn now." Egburt handed her the now refilled cup of water and she gave him a grateful glance. She took a sip, trying to think of a question. "... Who do you follow? What deity, I mean."

Deyna answered this time. "We don't follow a deity." At Connie's confused look, he continued. "Redwall Abbey was built to be a safe haven for all of Mossflower's inhabitants. We value peace and we heal those in need. Like you."

"Steven would like this place, then..." mused Connie.

"Who is this Steven creature?" asked Floburt.

"Steven is my... friend? Yeah, I think that's a good word for it. We help the Ge- um... We help his aunts keep our home safe."

"And your home is...?" pressed Deyna. He clearly hadn't believed her lie.

"I don't know, I told you." Connie kept eye contact. Growing up with strict parents, she had learned how to lie early on.

"Yes, of course. I apologize." Deyna smiled at the hedgehogs. "It's getting late. You two can go get some rest, I'll watch after miss Connie here." Egburt seemed about to protest, but Floburt nudged him on before he could say anything.

Silence fell upon the two for what felt like hours. The sky outside the window had darkened and Connie was about to doze off when Deyna spoke again.

"I can understand wanting to keep your family secret," he began, startling her. "I was raised by a ferret by the name of Sawney Rath." He paused and watched her for a reaction to the name. When there was none, he continued. "He slew my father and kidnapped me before I could form memories. He called me Taggerung, which means 'Mighty Warrior of our Clan'. I grew up in his clan, the Juskarath, as his son, and he taught me how to fight and kill."

"... I'm sorry," murmured Connie, unsure what else to say.

"I was fifteen seasons old when I finally got away from him. He had ordered me to skin a fox alive-" Connie gasped in horror. "-and instead I let him go. Sawney was furious at me. I left, and eventually I found my way here, with my real mother and sister."

"That's... that's a lot to go through. But why are you telling me this?" she asked.

"Because there's no reason you should feel like you have to hide where you're from." His eyes darkened and he looked out the window. "If... you feel as though someone is threatening you, there's no need to worry. Redwall is a safe place. Nobody can hurt you here." Deyna looked back down at her, and his face softened.

"That's not-" Connie sighed, hesitating again. "I just thought that if I'd never heard of this place- Redwall, right? Well, if I'd never heard of Redwall, then you've probably never heard of where I'm from."

"You'd be surprised. I know a lot of things," said Deyna. "And it may be mentioned in the Recorders' logs somewhere."

"Well... I'm from a place called Beach City," she said reluctantly.

"Oh... As I said, it may be in the logs," he said, trying to comfort her.

"Maybe..."

There was another stretch of silence.

"So... Who are Steven's aunts? What do you help them with?" asked Deyna.

"So we're not doing the question for question thing anymore?" Connie joked in an effort to keep herself composed. "They call themselves the Crystal Gems, and they're all named after gemstones. They look after Steven, along with his dad. One of them, her name is Pearl, she's teaching me how to fight with a sword."

"Really?" the otter cut in. "So young?"

"You said that you started training young," she shot back defensively. "And besides, I want to learn! It's more exciting than anything my parents wanted me to learn! And- and I want to be able to protect Steven..."

"Protect him from what?" Deyna's voice sharpened a little, and Connie nervously gripped the sheets. "... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. But what does he need protecting from?"

"Well, uh..." Connie weighed her thoughts, picking out what she wants to say. "His aunts' work isn't exactly... the safest. And he goes with them sometimes. I just don't want him to get hurt, you know?"

The big otter smiled softly. "I understand. Just out of curiousity, what are they?"

"Huh?" _Does he know they're aliens?_

"What are they? Squirrels like you, mice, otters..."

"Oh, um..." She couldn't just come out with the truth! What if humans don't exist in this world? What if they thought she was crazy? "I- I don't see how that matters, mister Deyna."

He met her eyes, searching her face. For a moment she wondered if she had any weird marks that a squirrel wouldn't usually have.

"... I suppose it doesn't," he finally said, and she nearly sighed in relief. "I'll let you rest, but I will be staying here in the room if you need anything. Please," he added, and she felt as though he could see right through her. "Don't be afraid to ask."

"Thank you," she mumbled as she laid back down. She watched him move to the window and reach up to pull down some curtains. "Um- Would you mind leaving those up? I like seeing the stars."

Deyna nodded and smiled again. "Of course. Good night, miss Connie."

"Good night." Connie place the now-empty cup on the bedside table and turned onto her side. It took her a good hour to fall asleep, and she did not dream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone else think that Deyna probably forgets his own name? After growing up to adulthood under one name and then suddenly everyone is calling you something else, he'd probably get confused. I'm pretty sure that he ends up ignoring everybody on accident because they think he's calling for someone else.
> 
> That might be a thing in this story. We'll see...
> 
> Also, Deyna thinks that Connie is a victim of some kind. Young squirrelmaid found unconscious and injured? That would send off a few alarm bells!
> 
> Everything I say about Gem culture and Connie's life will probably be proven wrong in the next Stevenbomb, but oh well. Rebecca Sugar sure does know how to keep everyone on their feet.
> 
> I don't have a beta for this, so if anyone finds a mistake or if anything is unclear please let me know!


	2. Questioning

Connie woke slowly. So slowly, that 'woke' may not even be the right word. She could feel herself phasing in and out of wakefulness, as though she were floating under the ocean without needing air. At one point she could've sworn she heard someone talking or singing, but she lost it before her mind could latch on. It wasn't until somebody bumped into her bed that she could muster enough energy and willpower to open her eyes.

She was still in the Redwall infirmary. _So... Not a dream, then_. She let out a soft sigh, and whoever bumped her gasped.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, dear! Connie, is it?" It was Floburt, the female hedgehog. "I didn't mean to wake you. Are you feeling any better? I heard you and Deyna had a nice little conversation last night."

"Yeah... Yeah, I think I'm better. Thank you." Connie forced herself to sit up, making Floburt fuss a little. "What time is it?"

The hedgehog glanced out the window. "Well... Late morning, I'd say. Just about time for a nice lunch! Would you like anything? Something soft, let's say. Egburt, do you know what they're serving for lunch today?"

Egburt, the other hedgehog, poked his face through the door. "Er... How about I go ask Broggle?"

"Boorab is probably closer, why don't you ask him?" said Floburt.

"Yes, that old belly on legs always knows what's on the menu," replied Egburt. "Good idea, I'll go find him."

"Broggle? Boorab?" All these new names were too much for Connie. There was Floburt and Egburt, Deyna the otter, that other otter... _Mary? No, that's not right..._

"Friar Broggle is the head cook. He's also darn good with a thread, he helps patch up the blankets when they get too bare," explained Floburt. "And Boorab is the cook's assistant. I swear, the only thing that hare assists with is emptying the larders... Oh, that's not fair. He did help Broggle with his stutter."

"That was nice of him." Connie scratched absentmindedly at a bandage on her upper arm. It pulled at her fur- _I have fur, I still can't believe this_ \- and made it itch.

"Oh, careful with that! You have a pretty nasty gash under there," warned Floburt.

Connie shot her a wide-eyed look. "What? How, do you know?"

Floburt shook her spiked head. "I'm sorry dear, I don't. I believe you had it when Nimbalo and those Dillypins found you half-drowned in a watermeadow. What were you doing there, anyway?"

"I... don't know," said Connie. _I wasn't anywhere near water when I tripped, was I? We were in a cave_. "Was there a cave nearby?"

"A cave?" Floburt scratched her headspikes in thought. "Not that I know of. I'll have to ask."

"Oh, okay. I underst- wait!" She gripped the sheets tight, a sudden, terrifying thought coming to her. "Do you know if they found a sword? Pink, kind of too big, has a flower design on the handle?"

"Why, yes, they most certainly did!" cried someone out in the hall. In burst a lanky hare, ears up high like flagposts and dressed in a faded fool's outfit. "Jolly nice to meet you, my fair young maiden! I am Bellscut Oglecrop Obrathon Ragglewaithe Audube Baggscut, cook's assistant and former Master of Music! But you may call me Boorab, young lady, wot. And you must be Connie!" She nodded, but before she could even get a word in, the energetic hare continued. "I say, is that your sword? It's big enough to give a badger a workout, let alone a sweet young waif like you!"

"W-well, it's not really mine," said Connie, her voice shaking a bit. Boorab's energy was just too much for her. Sure, Steven could be a handful, but this hare was a whole new level! "Technically it belongs to my friend's mother. But I've been using it to learn how to fight. I don't think I'd ever be forgiven if I lost it!"

"Shoo, shoo!" cried Floburt. "You're stressing my patient, go on, get! I'm so sorry, Connie."

"It's okay, I'll be fine." Connie smiled up at her, and the hedgehog smiled back. Boorab left the room with a low grumble.

"See if I ever bring you food again, miss bossyspikes..."

"I heard that, you trippaw!" Floburt retorted, following to make sure he actually left. She huffed at his back and pulled in a trolley laden with food. "... Well, he means good. He's just so insufferable!"

Connie didn't really hear her complaints. She was too distracted watching the food come in. She hadn't realized just how hungry she was until she smelled the mushroom and gravy pastie, saw the creamy leek soup, heard the mint tea sloshing in its kettle.

"Oh wow, that all looks so good!" she said. "I don't think I even need to taste it to tell that whoever made it did a really good job."

Floburt's smile widened. "Redwall has the best food in Mossflower, and that's a fact! I'd bet there was more on here, but that dratted hare must have eaten it." She arranged the food on the trolley. "Can you sit with your legs off the bed, dear? It'll be much easier to eat that way. And please eat slowly! We don't want to overwhelm your stomach."

Connie positioned herself so that the trolley funtioned as a table. She started on the soup, blowing on it before putting it in her mouth. Humming in appreciation, she dug in, and Floburt had to remind her to slow down at least twice. She soon found that the steamy, savory pastie dipped in the leek soup was a combination straight from heaven, and by the time she finished her meal there was barely a crumb left on the plate or a drop left in the bowl. She buried her face in the tea to hide her blush at her own lack of manners.

Floburt, on the other paw, was doing her best not to laugh. "I take it you liked it, then!" she said with a wide grin. Connie's blush worsened. "I'll be sure to let the cooks know that they have a new fan."

The kindly hedgehog had pushed the trolley out of the way to send down to the kitchens later when there was a firm knock on the door, startling them both.

"I suppose I should get that. You just stay in bed, Connie," said Floburt as she answered the door. Connie could hear some low voices, but couldn't make out what they were saying, and soon Floburt left the room, gently closing the door behind her.

Connie figured they were talking about her. She was, after all, a stranger who claimed to wield a big pink sword and was pretty injured. She tried to listen in on the conversation, but the door was thick and their voices low. Eventually Floburt came back in with a green tunic like her own.

"You have some visitors, Connie," she said. "Let's get you dressed, okay?" Connie nodded and carefully stood up, using the bedside table to keep herself steady. She held nervously still as Floburt pulled the tunic down over her head. "Oh, there's no need to be shy! We're both ladies here, and I've seen plenty of creatures naked. It comes with the job."

"R-right, of course..." mumbled Connie. She still felt embarrassed, but it wasn't as bad, especially now that she was wearing clothes. The tunic was much softer than it looked, a similar faded green to the blankets.

"Well, I have to go see to other things now. I trust you'll be alright?" said Floburt with a final fussy adjustment. Connie sat back down on the bed.

"Yeah, I should be," she replied. "Thank you, Floburt."

The hedgehog beamed happily as she bustled out the door, and the big otter from yesterday and a young squirrel with a big book came in after her.

"Hello Connie," Deyna said with a soft smile. Connie politely smiled back. "This is Sister Rosabel, the Abbey's Recorder."

Sister Rosabel gave Connie a bright grin and her eyes twinkled with barely-contained curiosity. "It's so nice to meet you! Connie, right?"

"Right. It's nice to meet you too, Sister Rosabel," Connie said.

"Please, just call me Rosabel. 'Sister' just makes me sound old," giggled the squirrel- _the other squirrel_ , Connie reminded herself.

"Of course, Rosabel!" she said, liking her friendliness. "Is there something you two wanted?"

"Just a few more questions," said Deyna. "I'm sure you understand."

"That's fair, I guess." Connie settled herself in for some talking. "What first?"

"Do you have a full name?" asked Rosabel, opening the book and pulling a quill and pot of ink from her sleeves.

"Connie Maheswaran."

"... Would you mind spelling your last name for me?" Rosabel asked sheepishly. "It's very unique."

"I get that a lot." Connie slowly and patiently spelled out her name as Rosabel wrote it down.

"So is Maheswaran the name of your clan or tribe?" asked Deyna.

"It was my father's last name when he and my mother married, so I guess so," replied Connie. "I wouldn't really consider my family a clan, though."

"You mentioned your parents last night. Could you please describe them a little?" pressed the otter. He had an odd look in his eye.

"My mom's name is Priyanka-" She paused to spell that out for Rosabel. "- and my father is Doug. He works as a bodyguard, protecting people for pay and stuff like that. My mom works at a hospital. She's a doctor. She takes her job really seriously, too. She'll look after anything, and I mean _anything_." The two Redwallers chuckle at that, figuring that there's a story there.

"You said that they wouldn't approve of you swordfighting, right? Why is that?" said Deyna.

"Well, when I started, it was in secret without them knowing... They thought I was practicing for tennis." At the confused looks she got, she explained, "Tennis is a game where you hit a ball over a net back and forth. It's pretty competitive. Well, the moves from that game really helped me with learning swordfighting, so it... wasn't exactly a lie."

"Did they ever find out?" asked Rosabel.

"Mm-hm. There was... an incident at the hospital and Steven and I had to fight. That's when Mom found out." A half-smile formed on her face at the memory. "She... was pretty mad, but eventually she and dad got used to the idea."

"What about Steven? How does he feel abou-"

Deyna's question was cut off by some scrabbling outside the door, and it was slammed open by a golden-furred mouse.

The otter jumped to his footpaws."Nimbalo? What's going on, is something wrong?"

"Deyna, matey, there's a crazed badger at the door tryin' to get in!" cried the mouse Nimbalo. Connie vaguely remembered Floburt mentioning that name. "She's blinkin' mad. You gotta come to the wall over the gates!"

"I'm on my way." Deyna turned to the two squirrels. "You two stay here, we'll take care of this."

And with that, otter and mouse rushed out of the infirmary, leaving two very confused squirrels behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These always look so much longer on the word program... And I wish italics carried over.
> 
> How is it? I'm trying to ramp things up before I forget that I wanted this to have a plot, but you know... pacing and all that. So far it's got two chapters, which is two chapters more than most plotbunnies I get. I swear, they breed like rabbi- oh.
> 
> Please feel free to point out any mistakes!


	3. Recognizing

Deyna and Nimbalo could hear the badger before they even reached the Abbey wall. Abbess Mhera and Boorab were already there, and Foremole Gundil and a few of his moles were doing their best to keep the doors shut against the badger's impressive blows.

"I know she's in there!" the badger roared, her voice shaking the bones of even the most sturdy creature. "Either let her out or let me in!"

"Feel familiar to you, mate?" Nimbalo panted to Deyna. The otter nodded with a humorless chuckle.

"That fox." They reached the wallsteps and climbed, and Abbess Mhera greeted them at the top.

"Deyna, Nimbalo. We- whoa!" All the beasts at the top of the wall had to steady themselves after a particularly strong slam against the gates. "We think she's here for our friend in the infirmary, but she wouldn't say anything why or even how she knew she's here."

"Knew the ol' badger types could get blinkin' bonkers, but this just steals it, eh wot!" Boorab leaned over the ramparts to shout down. "If'n you'll hold your bloomin' paws for a moment and let us figure out what you want that would be splendid, old girl! But we're going to have to ask you to stop all that poundin' you're doin' down there!"

The badger paused for a moment, seeming to have an internal struggle. "Fine, we can talk. But if you try to lie to me this door is dust!" To drive her point home she slammed the gates again.

Deyna joined Boorab. "Who exactly is it you're looking for?"

"Her name is Connie," said the badger. The creatures on the walltop looked at each other. "She should have a pink sword with her."

"And what's your relationship with her?" challenged Nimbalo. He of all creatures knew that not everybody had good intentions, especially with young ones. "Why should we let you see her? For all we know you could be the reason she's hurt!" Abbess Mhera and Boorab tried to hush him, afraid he'd anger the badger, but the massive creature on the path just sighed.

"I may not be the one who directly hurt Connie, but I feel responsible," she said. "I'm the one who said she should come with us on our mission. Her wellbeing is my concern, and I will _not_ leave that to strangers!"

"We can understand that," said Mhera. "But she cannot come out in her condition, and I'm hesitant to let you in after your little... display out here. If we let you in, you will have to be under supervision, is that understood?"

"Absolutely."

"Gundil, if you would please let in our... guest." Abbess Mhera turned to her brother and friends. "Deyna, if you could watch over her? I know it's a bit of a tall order to expect you to be able to wrestle an angry badger to the ground if it comes to that, but..."

"I can do it. I don't think she means us harm, she's just worried," said Deyna. "The badger's story matches Connie's, so I doubt she's lying about anything."

On the Abbey lawn, the badger seemed to be composing herself, fighting to put a neutral expression on her face. Boorab, Mhera, Nimbalo, and Deyna made their way down to meet her. Deyna held out his paw for a shake.

"My name is Deyna," he said. "I'll be your escort."

The badger took his paw. She had a firm grip. "Garnet."

The two warriors measured each other up. Deyna noticed that Garnet's fur where the stripes should have been black were more brown. Her eyes were different, one reddish-brown and one blue. He wondered for a moment if the difference had anything to do with the Bloodwrath.

"... I wish to see Connie," Garnet said through gritted teeth. She didn't seem used to asking for permission.

Deyna nodded and he lead her up to the infirmary. The Abbey's halls were a little too tight for her, but Garnet never complained. A few Dibbuns playing along the way stared up at her, and the otter watched as Garnet simply waved back, her expression not changing at all. No... There was the slightest upwards curve to her lips. Deyna felt himself relaxing a little at that.

"So... Are you from Beach City too?" he asked conversationally. He had noticed that her accent was different from Connie's.

"... That's where I live," she replied in a deep monotone.

"But you're not from there," he said, not even pretending to phrase it like a question.

"No."

"So what made you settle down there?" he pressed.

"You don't need to know that." She refused to answer any more questions the rest of the way.

When they reached the infirmary, they could hear Connie and Sister Rosabel chatting to each other.

"... and then he jumped up and caught them all, yelling 'Skills!' at the top of his lungs!"

"Oh my goodness, he sounds like such a card! I hope I get to meet him one day."

When Garnet and Deyna walked in, he noticed that Connie's expression was curious, but showed no recognition or familiarity for the badger. He glanced between them, starting to doubt the decision to let her in. But then...

"Connie," was all Garnet said, and the squirrelmaid immediately perked up, relief sparking in her eyes.

"Garnet!" she cried. "Oh my gosh, how did you get here? Are you okay? Where are-"

Garnet cleared the room in a blink and pressed a claw softly to Connie's lips, and the squirrelmaid went quiet. "I'm fine, and I came here the same way you did. Only I did it intentionally." Her eyes twinkled with her little joke. "They should be back home."

"Should...?" That word seemed to worry Connie.

"You know Steven," said Garnet with a fond smile and a long suffering sigh.

"Um... If you'll excuse me, I'll just be right out of your way!" Sister Rosabel hurried to her footpaws and dashed out, looking very uncomfortable. Deyna made a mental note to mention it to Broggle or Fwirl.

Garnet either didn't notice or didn't care as she kept her attention on Connie, who seemed to be getting more and more worried with every second.

"But- but if he's here then we have to go find him!" she cried, pushing herself up and trying to stand. She wobbled before finding her balance. Deyna noticed that she didn't try using her tail at all, and in fact seemed uncomfortable with it.

"No." Garnet's voice left no room for argument, and yet Connie still managed to give her an incredulous look. "You are in no condition to go searching. We don't even know where he would be, or even if he is here."

"Floburt said something about finding me at a watermeadow. He might be around there!" said Connie.

"Maybe. But we don't know that." The badger's claws clenched and her voice dropped. "I don't know where he is. We can only hope that he's at home with Pearl and Amethyst."

* * *

 

Meanwhile, on a beach not too far away but also not quite close...

"Hahaha, Pearl, your ears look so silly! Aww, but I can't make fun of your nose anymore."

"Amethyst, this is no time for your joking! We need to find Garnet and Connie and find a way home."

"Whoa, I _can_ make fun of your nose! Look at it, it's twitching all over the place!"

"Um, guys? There's a bunch more rabbits coming here, and they don't look very friendly...!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, it's a short one. But I did post three chapters in one weekend, so I'd say it all balances out!
> 
> Deyna has met Garnet now. He's still a suspicious, untrusting butt, but I think he's calming down a little. Garnet, however... With the lack of Gem magic, Ruby and Sapphire are pretty effectively one beast, with no chance of unfusing, no matter how unstable their emotions might get!
> 
> Or are they...? Dun dun dun!


End file.
